Tick Tock
by Minato Namikaze
Summary: Though accosted and thrown into Azkaban as a Death Eater, Demitri recognizes the world he is now in, but hardly believes it. However, he won't let anyone or anything get in his way of living life to the fullest in the world of Harry Potter and real magic.
1. Chapter 1

**1**

Three Rivers, California was a peaceful town, if albeit somewhat boring and lacking a creative name. At least that's what Demitri believed. However it was his home. And it had been for almost twenty years ( as Demitri liked to put it; that sounded older and more mature than 18). But the feelings of boredom rose up on rainy days like these when so few people visited his father's restaurant, Modestino's ( named after his great-great-great grandfather, or so the story was told).

"Hello, how many today?"

There were always the stubborn few who made the trek down Sierra Dr past the golf course to eat at the Italian restaurant. Strangely enough most customers came from the river junction a couple miles north. Demitri was not fond of the serving industry, but it paid for his xbox games just fine, and that was what was important.

"Two orders of kid's Spaghetti, one Lemon chicken, and one Marsala chicken." His father nodded somberly at the order and murmured a few orders to his kitchen hands. Demitri may not give off the Italian vibe with his blond messy hair, but his father was the kinda man who's first impression was usually, "Wow a real gangster. I wonder where he keeps his gun?"

At least, that's what Demitri's mother had said. Having mistaken his long curly black hair for that of her friends, the two of them met in a crowded airport and through a long and seemingly impossible turn of events ended up in the same town at the same time several times over. From that point his mother had followed his father back to his home town and asked him out.

Yeah his mom was weird like that.

"Demitri, have you seen Ruth?"

Demitri blinked over the plates of meatballs and spaghetti at his father. Was it that time already?

"You mean she isn't here?" Looking over at the clock with a chef and his hands as the clock hands, it read 7:23. "Oh wow. She's late."

His father sighed, "Yes, again," and went back to work cleaning the stove top. At times furious, at others incredibly forgiving, Demitri thought his father very indecisive when it came to the redhead waitress and her constant lateness. Passing by the foyer with the food he had a sudden what-if thought when the door flew open. Knowing what was going to happen, Demitri nevertheless had no time to stop Ruth from barreling into his side.

The food slid sideways over the tray and then fell straight down with a crash and both Demitri and Ruth were covered in sauce, noodles and chicken. Staring up at the ceiling Demitri could only mutter, "Shit."

Ruth mirrored that sentiment as she hurriedly wiped her wet sleeve over her eyes. "S-Shit your dad's gonna kill me..." Ruth looked terrible. Not only soaking wet, but her makeup was smeared across her face in obvious tear lines. Her hair was messy and disheveled, and she wasn't even dressed for work properly. Forget kill, there was only so much his father could forgive. There wouldn't be traces left.

"Demitri?" His father called from the kitchen. He no doubt heard the crash.

"Slipped on some water by the door! Need another of that last order."

There was no response except the clanging of metal and hiss of meat on the grill. From the sudden silence after Ruth came in, some customers started muttering and a few older men gave Demitri smiles, and one even sent a thumbs up his way.

"You look like shit Ruth." Demitri whispered bluntly. The girl winced and smiled pitifully as she helped pile the broken porcelain onto the serving tray. "What happened?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and opened her mouth to respond, but snapped it shut and shook her head. Then she whispered, "Thanks. For your dad. Lying to him." Ruth wasn't the best talker. She was younger than him, around 16 or 17, and attended the same school as him. It was how they met and how she came to work for his family at the restaurant. Demitri thought about all that and more as he looked at the redhead. Despite having known her for years she still refused to open up to him.

"Go upstairs." He suddenly ordered, almost before he could think of why. "Go shower and clean up. Mom can lend you some clothes." Ruth looked like the cat had caught her tongue again, opening and closing her mouth like a fish before she simply nodded. Demitri watched her go and stood for several moments after she was gone. Three years and she couldn't even speak twenty words to him in a single sitting. Well. Whatever.

It took a few more minutes to clean up the spilled food and retrieve and deliver the new order to the family. It was later, when he finally had a moment to breathe that he tried cleaning up the mess on his shirt, starting with the golden necklace that had fallen from his shirt. It was covered with tomato sauce. Pulling the double looped chain from around his neck he pulled a rag from underneath the podium and started wiping away at the mess. At the end of the looped chain were three concentric circles, with the innermost having an hourglass within it.

'I mark the hours every one' were written on one side of the outermost ring in fancy black lettering. The necklace was a birthday present; a replica from the popular books/movies Harry Potter. Demitri didn't always wear it, but had suddenly felt in the mood to wear it again today. Figures it would be covered in sauce. Sometime in the midst of cleaning the necklace Demitri noticed a man standing in front of the podium.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't hear you come in... Just one today sir?" Demitri finished wiping down the necklace and tucked it into his pocket. The man briefly followed the motion with his eyes and nodded, looking around the store with half-lidded eyes. Demitri didn't recognize the man, but he didn't recognize most of the customers. The man shook a long black coat off his shoulders and followed Demitri a table. Demitri took his order and relayed it to his father before taking a quick peek upstairs.

He could hear his mother and Ruth talking gently, too gently to overhear from the foot of the steps, but his mother sounded counseling, so he let it be. And so Demitri tried to busy himself for the next hour when his shift would end, and he could finally leave. Sometimes living in the same building as his work was convenient, at others it was suffocating. In this instance, it was the latter. Demitri thought about the Honda motorcycle waiting outside under a rain-sheet, and wondered if it was safe enough to ride to Game Stop in this weather. Probably not. But that wouldn't stop him.

Ruth had come down in the last hour and apologized to Demitri's father. The man had looked livid until Demitri's mother popped her head around the corner behind the redheaded girl. They locked eyes for several moments and then his father started grumbling and shooed Ruth away to her work.

Mom's got him on a pretty tight leash, Demitri thought, watching Ruth and fiddling with his necklace. Sitting still wasn't an issue, but Demitri had always had a problem not doing something with his hands at all times. Ruth had a pretty nice ass for being such a shy girl. After several moments Demitri felt he was being rather creepy, so he pulled the necklace around his neck, gave the hourglass a single spin and moved to the door. Then he stopped.

The scene in front of him looked both familiar and impossibly confusing. A redhead girl, who could be none other than Ruth burst through the door letting in a small torrent of rain and crashed into a blond haired man wearing a waiter apron and black slacks. The tray of food he was carrying went everywhere over the ground and for several seconds there was silence in the restaurant. Then Demitri heard his own voice say, "Shit."

The world swooned and Demitri stumbled back into the hallway leading to the staff room, mind crashing to a halt.

What the fuck?  
"Demitri?" His father called from the kitchen, closer to him now than before.

"Slipped on some water by the door! Need another of that last order." The voice was strange to hear, but unmistakable. Demitri's thoughts whirled and he couldn't understand what was happening. Like trying to grasp water everything just couldn't add up and Demitri felt more confused than he had ever felt before in his life. Peeking his head around the corner, Demitri saw the man with the long black coat enter the store as the other Demitri was cleaning the necklace.

And suddenly the water was ice, and quite holdable. But a coldness settled into his chest. All at once seeing the timeturner necklace made everything logical, but also still impossible. It was a necklace from a movie; its not as if it was real or anything!

But as he watched, Demitri grew more confused. As the other Demitri lead the man to a table, the man pulled a gold chain out of his pocket and discreetly dropped it into the other Demitri's right hand pocket. Demitri patted down his pocket, but felt nothing- except... He felt the left pocket next, and felt something metal and moving. Reaching in he pulled out another necklace exactly like the one under his shirt now, only more worn and fading with age.

What the fuck!?

And suddenly there was a pressure on his back.

"Don't fucking move Rookwood."

The timeturner in his hand was ripped away, and suddenly two pairs of hands looped around his arms and pulled him deeper into the hallway and forced him against a wall. The push knocked the air from his lungs, but he looked up, frightened at the three men around him. They all wore black cloaks with the hoods pulled up over their faces, and despite the ample lighting under the hoods were pitch black. The middle one pointed a wooden stick, a wand, at him and spoke.

"Did you think we wouldn't notice you use the Golden Door? You thought you could slip away during that little skirmish between Dumbledore and You-Know-Who, but you thought wrong. You sure have fallen since you were an Unspeakable, you piece of shite!"

Demitri gaped and stuttered out, "Wha-what? I don't know... I don't know what you're talking about!"

Demitri had the impression that the man was sneering. "You're disguise is pretty good, but you didn't think about one thing, Rookwood." The man leaned in close, "This world doesn't have its own magic! So this time-turner," he swung Demitri's necklace in front of his face, "Gave off a signature miles wide! You must have thought you were so clever, jumping worlds like that, but you should have known we'd be watching the Door." The man leaned back, and Demitri felt like crying, and also wanted to start throwing punches.

"Listen you-!" Demitri surged up, struggling against the other two men, but that was as far as he got before a red light filled his vision. And then there was only darkness.

* * *

**2**

Demitri woke when he hit the floor. His head bounced once off the cold stone floor and a door shut behind him, throwing the room into darkness.

"Ah, fuck!" Demitri called to the empty space, grasping his aching head. It was throbbing painfully, but Demitri pulled himself up as quick as he could and looked around. He was in a small room with stone walls, and stone floors, with a single sized bed packed into the right most corner away from the door, which was a thick looking wood with an eye-slot built in on the outside, and a mail-slot built into the middle. There was one stone window on the wall opposite of the door, and moonlight streamed in from the small slit. In the left corner was a small but wide wood bucket.

What the fuck is going on? Demitri thought, walking weakly to the window. He could hear waves crashing faintly, as if far away. As a cold wind brushed past, Demitri know where he was, and started shivering in fear.

Azkaban.

There were plenty of times he wished to be whisked away into the world of Harry Potter, but not here, not ever here. The cold grey walls felt constricting and Demitri gasped for breath in the suddenly smaller room. The floor rushed up to meet him again that night and Demitri passed out.

He had nightmares of the Dementors. He felt them in his sleep. Being of sorrow and despair, something he had never felt before, drifting past his cell door at random times. He'd wearily blink awake and the room would be filled with ice creeping over the floor. This went on for two days. Food was deposited at the base of the door every day, once a day, and a change of clothes were next to the food the second day. Demitri couldn't help but wonder why they hadn't taken his clothes he'd been wearing, but, then he also wondered why they couldn't tell he wasn't this Rookwood guy.

It was during the third night in Azkaban that something happened.

"Wake up!" It was a man's voice, whispering in the night. "Come on, Demitri, wake up!"

Hearing his name spoken forced all sleep from his body in a rush. The cell was dark except for a single stream of moonlight from the window. A man with grimy, unwashed blonde hair was crouched next to his bed in dirty, torn prison clothes, and Demitri felt a wave of nausea.

"Who are you?" Demitri pulled his legs against his chest and moved back as far as he could into a corner. The man made no move except to hold up his left hand, and to reach inside his shirt with his right. From the folds he pulled out a golden necklace with a small hourglass that glinted with the moonlight.

"You." The man's voice was deeper than Demitri's. And he was clearly older too. A beard was beginning to grow on his face, though it was untrimmed and unkempt.

"What?" That didn't make any sense, but the sight of the time-turner made him reach for the one he wore around his own neck. It was still there. The man hadn't taken it.

Neither had the guards, and thats when the pieces started lining up for Demitri.

The older man- apparently Demitri himself- nodded and lowered his hands. "That's right. They thought they took it, so they didn't check again. And you didn't have a wand, so they just threw you in here."

Demitri just stared at himself, feeling the stress, the fear, the confusion all start piling up. His face burned, and his breathing started getting heavy. Then his face was stinging.

"Stop being such a fucking pussy." The older Demitri spoke quietly as he pulled his hand back. "I don't have a lot of time so listen up. I've been here for several months now. Its not going to be easy, but if you keep acting like that some serious shit will go down. You'll see what'll happen when a young man comes in in a few weeks." The older Demitri looked away, like he was looking far away for a few moments, then turned back.

"But you have _this_," he gestured to the time-turner in his hand. "With it, you can save yourself when the times come." Times? Plural? Demitri just wanted to crawl up in a ball and leave. "Oh, I forgot about that." His voice was softer, if only slightly. "You don't realize... Listen-look at me-listen, you are afraid, I get that. You are feeling cold and terrified because of the Dementors. But you don't need to feel that way. There is a defense. And it will work immediately, trust me."

Demitri look up to see the man smiling widely. His slightly yellowed teeth were still white enough to shine in the darkness of the room. The older man leaned in close and placed his strong heavy hands-were those really his own from the future?- on Demitri's shoulders and leaned in close.

"We are here." If possible he seemed to smile wider.

"What?" Demitri muttered, confused.

"We. Are. Here!" The man's eyes sparkled with an inner glee. "Here! In this world. This world of Harry Potter, time travel, and..." Demitri suddenly understood, and felt his heart leap into his throat. He and his future self finished the sentence together.

"_Magic!_" The older man smiled and nodded his head, "Yes! Remember that, and feel that hope? That feeling of elation? You will never lose it. Keep it in your heart, and know peace, because we are here!" From outside the door, there was a distant echo, and the future Demitri looked over his shoulder.

"Shit, not much longer now. Okay, listen up, and don't interrupt" he lost the smile and looked at Demitri seriously as he leaned back away. "One: You can not change the past with time-turners. You can only be in more than one place at a time. In effect, you only change your present. There's a difference. Two: You can only go back a maximum of 24 hours, _unless_, you switch time-turners with your past self. Using that second time-turner, you can go back another twenty four hours, making a total of 48 hours. You can do this again, and again, and keep going back farther, like what i've done. Three," he smiled at this, "There exist female Dementors. Keep that in mind in a few weeks! It will save your life. And finally, four." He got up from the floor and moved to the door.

Footsteps echoed from the hall louder and louder as they got closer and the older Demitri rose one finger to his lips as he waited behind where the door would open. As the door swung open, a portly man in fancy robes waved his wand ostentatiously in the air and looked down his nose at Demitri.

"So! You are the new inmate, hmmm?" he moved forward into the cell, always keeping his wand in the general direction of Demitri. Unseen behind the door, the older Demitri slowly moved like a shadow towards the wizard.

"I was told Rookwood was in this cell, but that must be a-"

"Mistake?" The older Demitri whispered into the fat man's ear. The man's face erupted in horror as he spun around, wand twirling through the air, but the older Demitri was faster. His fist caught the wizard square in the face and sent him laying flat on his back. Kicking the wand from the wizards hand, both Demitris looked up and locked eyes.

"Four: I'm a motherfuckin badass!" With that he rushed out of the cell into the corridor, and took off running. The wizard sputtered and rose on shaky legs, looked angrily at Demitri, then did a double-take to the older man running away and swore. Running as fast as he could with his weight the wizard followed the older Demitri, waving his wand to shut and lock the door behind him. For almost an hour Demitri sat and waited, hearing the alarms and guards shouting, the prisoners roaring and shaking their cells. Finally it all settled and he heard a faint cheer rise up from the lower levels. He escaped then? A bubbling laughter escaped his mouth.

He escaped! Here three days plus some months, and he would escape. Wonderful. He couldn't stop laughing. And that was how the wizards found him, laughing, everyday for the next four months. Laughing because he knew, didn't wish or hope, but _knew_ he would one day soon, a long time ago, escape this prison. And to think it only took bedding a Dementor to find the location of the supply docks, hidden away from all prisoners beneath their very feet.

As he rode the waves in the self-driving boat, Demitri looked back at the stone building he spent the last half year of his life at. Good riddance. Though, looking down at his arms, nearly thrice the size of when he arrived in this world months ago, prison ended up being good for something. But his survival truly was owed to the ability to time leap as he did. If it hadn't been for that game on time travel, back in his world, he might not have ever come up with the concept.

Now, if he wasn't as mad as a hatter, though every depiction of the hatter has been flattering in his experience, then the year should be 1996, sometime after Harry stormed the ministry with his friends to rescue Sirius. So, in between the Order of the Phoenix, and The Half Blood Prince. Demitri racked his thoughts, trying to recall where Harry would be. And then he had the thought, is Harry really who he should try and find?

He stirred in his thoughts as the boat trudged forward through the sea. Meeting Harry Potter would certainly be amazing, especially as Harry Potter and not Daniel Radcliffe. Shit... What else about this world would be entirely different, Demitri thought.

"I don't know how I got here, but I'm here. I'm not going to waste this. So many ideas, so many possibilities. Who knew reading so much fanfiction would turn out to be helpful?" The sea gave no response.

Harry it was, then. If anyone could help him get into Hogwarts it would have to be him. How to do that though? Where would he be? Demitri hunkered down in the boat and covered himself with a blanket stolen from Azkaban, along with some assorted goods; food and the like. In the Order of the Phoenix, he tried to remember, Harry went to the ministry towards the end of the year, though school was still in session. So he'll likely still be there. Then, he'll spend the summer with the Dursleys for a time, then move to Sirius's house. Grim-something? Demitri couldn't recall the name of the house in London. But it wouldn't matter; he wouldn't be able to meet Harry there. Shielded as it was from literally everyone, including the fidelius charm, that was a dead end. So it would have to be before that point. The Dursleys then. That means Surrey. That wouldn't be easy either. London would be an easy place to find, but Demitri was an American, and had next to no knowledge of the area. And what about money? How would he get the money to buy train, or bus tickets? And what about ID's? This was getting more and more tricky.

And then Demitri had an idea for one of his troubles. So, first he'd find some money. With this as a base, he would make his way; a muggle on a journey to reach Hogwarts. Demitri laughed, and hoped they were ready for him.

* * *

**3**

Time leaping could be achieved only on certain conditions. One: In order for the jump to occur, he must travel back in time one full day, to a place where his past self is. Then, he can switch time-turners with the past version. With that done, the new time-turner is still time travel ready, and can be used to go back a day from that point. This means he would be 48 hours back from his original time. The only catch is the spend time-turner given to the past self wouldn't be usable until a day later. That caused some close calls, but some simple calculations and quick thinking saved himself.

The second condition was that he can only jump if he knows where his past self is, and if his past self is actually in the process of having used the time-turner. In that case, the past time-turner is unusable at that time. Also, his past self must in fact have a time-turner to switch with. As long as that holds true, if he can be in the right place at the right time in the past, he can travel back in time as far back as long as he's had a time turner with him. That is to say, About two weeks.

Sitting in some garbage behind a major bank in the midst of London, Demitri contemplated his life in this new world. So far, it was kind of shitty, but he was as happy as a lark just to be here. And it would be getting better, he thought as he checked his stolen watch. Noon exactly. A figure appeared in thin air before him. Standing up from the ground, Demitri waved to his future self, and he waved back. They quickly swapped time-turners, and the future Demitri used it right away.

From there, Demitri wasted a day doing reconnaissance. He went to the subway and studied maps, took notes on some stolen paper with stolen pens. He learned the general areas of Surrey and where the Dursleys might be. Then, at exactly noon a day after having swapped time-turners, Demitri went back in time and met his past self at the garbage. Taking the other time-turner, Demitri jumped back again. Now was the moment of truth. Walking around the bank Demitri felt a weight settle on his back, and looked to find a backpack slung over his shoulder and a familiar face fading into the shadows of an alley. Continuing around the building with the London crowd, Demitri walked into the bank and found a bank teller.

"Hello!" He smiled and greeted the man with a chipper voice but quickly changed to a serious demeanor. "I set up an account earlier today and I want to deposit my liquidated assets." In truth he set up the account a full two days ago, but that was only on his personal time stream. The man blinked at Demitri's accent but nodded and they quickly got to business. It was some time later that Demitri walked out of the bank, richer by almost half a million dollars, though in truth that was only a portion of the money. And there was still work to do. Walking some distance he entered the subway and found the stops needed to arrive at another bank.

He wasted a day eating good food for once and sleeping in a real bed for the first time in weeks. It was glorious and almost made him cry. By noon, he was at the second bank again, and he walked in and asked to see his deposit box, which he had set up the day ( three days for himself) before. As the employee shut the door, Demitri pulled out his time-turner and turned it 12 times, and suddenly he was in a darkened room full of money. Taking the money and stuffing it into his bag, he filled it to the brim and then some, and then stuffed it into his deposit box and locked it inside another box still. That done, he pulled out the time-turner and gave it another 12 turns. When the world stopped moving, he was met with his past self, the very first of this particular time stream. He waved, gave a salute and wink, and switched time-turners with himself yet again. This done, he walked to a private room and turned back time a few hours and simply walked out with several other customers also leaving.

After all that Demitri was rather proud of himself. It may seem rather criminal, abusing his time travel capabilities this way, but he was forced into this world, and he needed the money. He didn't have an identity in this world. And so he went on with life, rather wealthy for the first time in his life. Next stop, Surrey.


	2. Chapter 2

**4**

Demitri had forgotten, during his time in this new world. Four months at Azkaban, and the mindless, childish glee he felt over being forced into this world were all it took to lose sight of reality.

'You can not change the past. Only the present. There is a difference.'

His own words haunted him as he sat on the street curb, unmindful to the rain pelting him. The blue lights of the ambulance circled slowly, almost mournfully as the officers loaded up the bodies, covered in white sheets. Here he was, a muggle among muggles, with the power to go back in time, but he could not change this. That was the downside to the timeturner. Whatever happens, whatever you see happen, will always happen.

He couldn't save two children from a small car crash.

Demitri jumped a little when one of the officers plopped down on the curb next to him. She was wearing a plastic sheet over her uniform and was holding a white foam cup.

"Hi." She sounded nonchalant without being too insensitive. She held the cup out to him, and Demitri took it without really thinking. He didn't drink it though. It smelled like tea, probably was tea, and was very warm to the touch.

"Did you know them?" She asked softly after a few quiet moments. A women, likely the mother, was being treated for the small cuts in the back of another ambulance. Her eyes were like stones; cold and unmoving.

"No." Demitri answered, his voice croaking dryly. "I just called the cops."

The officer nodded somberly and looked at him silently. They were on a small road, only two lanes, and most of it was filled with countryside. He'd been searching for Harry for three weeks now, and when he'd finally seen the name Little Whinging on the maps he'd felt the moment of revelation when one remembers something important. That was where he'd find Harry. However, having never ridden a train in his life, let alone the England network's, Demitri was at a loss on how to get there. So, he flagged a taxi to take him as far as he could. When the cost started to reach the hundreds of dollars ( or pounds as they took to calling them), Demitri decided to walk the rest of the way. He had already reached the Little Whinging area when, well...

"Sir?" The officer called to him, shaking his shoulder. Demitri blinked several times and noticed the ambulances were gone. Two cruisers remained, and there was another officer looking over this way.

"I'm sorry, I was..." Demitri didn't finish the thought aloud. "What did you say?"

The woman smiled gently and asked, "Do you live around here? Your accent..."

Demitri shook his head, besides the lack of english accent, he knew next to nothing about England. There was no way to pass as a native. He decided to tell as much of the truth as he dared.

"I'm here on vacation. I'm staying with my friends Harry and Dudley." he motioned over his shoulder to the whole of Little Whinging behind him, "They live over on Privet Drive. I just got a little lost, and then that..." Demitri pointed toward the two cars, both pretty banged up in the front. The window was shot out of the one the children had been in, and the rain filled up the leather interior without any pity.

The officer nodded and looked at the cup in Demitri's hands, still untouched. It was already cold by now. She looked around then got up, and offered a hand to Demitri.

"Up we go," she ordered gently, "I'll take you home."

Demitri looked at her for a few moments, still mollified but glad his ploy had worked. The power of time travel had filled his head, and he had been moving forward recklessly. He was still only human. Still only a muggle. If he wasn't careful, a simple mistake could cost his life, and he'd be powerless to save himself, or anyone else. All the more reason he needed to get a foothold into the wizarding world.

He took the officer's hand and stood up. When they left Demitri rode in the back as the woman and her partner, an older man with greying hair and glasses, murmured together in the front.

"Which house is it?" the man finally spoke up as they entered a cul-de-sac.

"Number 4. Its on the left... I think. They all look the same to me."

Both officers chortled slightly. "Indeed they do." the woman agreed. The car slowed and they all gazed out the windows looking for the right one. At last they found the right one, and the cruiser pulled up by the curb and Demitri hopped out and ran to the door. This is where it would get tricky. He swung his hand and pretended to knock on the door. Of course no one came to open it. He did this again several times and shifted left and right, like he was trying to see in through the door's small window at the top. Finally he ran around the side of the house avoiding the garden encircling it and waited a few moments. Then he ran back to the corner of the house and gave a thumbs up to the officers waiting in the car. They waved and pulled away.

It was extreamly dark, cold, and very wet, but Demitri waited until the cruiser flew by on its return trip. When its tail lights were gone Demitri breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back to the front of the house. Now to get in.

And suddenly he recalled the house was being watched. If it was mad-eye, chances were there was a wand not inches from the back of his neck at this very moment, and that made his neck hairs stand on edge. Tonks would likely be just as weary, but more reasonable. If it was Mundangous, or whatever the hell his name was, he'd either be passed out drunk or would have run away to call in the big guns, which would lead him right back to a wand at his neck. Shit. Demitri decided that standing in front of the door in the rain already looked suspicious enough so he knocked on the door.

When no answer came he knocked again, careful not to make it too harsh, knowing the Dursleys and all. Finally the door opened and Demitri met face to face with Harry Potter himself. The teen was younger than Demitri, and almost looked more terrible. He wasn't soaking wet, but the look in his eyes were suspicious, lacking hope, and visibly full of restrained anger. A plan sprang forth with a such a suddenness and strength that Demitri immediately went with it.

He punched Harry Potter.

* * *

**5**

When the first knocking came, Uncle Vernon looked up, his mustache twitching in his confusion.

"Who in the Devil could that be at this hour?"

Harry looked up from his mashed potatoes, just as confused. Aunt Petunia and Dudley both blinked, and they all looked through the thoroughfare into the receiving room, where the front window sat. It was still pouring rain something awful.

'Who would come knocking in this storm?' Harry thought, when a plethora of ideas flooded his mind. 'Is it Tonks?' She was the only one of his guards who broke protocol and spoke to him while on guard. Maybe something was wrong. Or maybe...

When the knocking came again Uncle Vernon seemed to have the same idea.

"Perhaps its _them_," he spat, venom clear in his words. "Best go open the door boy, and tell them you are just fine."

Harry shot his uncle a small glare, but rose from his seat. Walking down the short hallway Harry briefly notioned the idea that it was a Death Eater, perhaps fresh from Azkaban and looking to please Voldemort. But then he tossed that aside because, besides how ridiculous it would be to escape Azkaban unnoticed, as there had been no reports, to both discover his location and slide by the wards and guards to knock on the front door, it was laughable.

Then he opened the door, and caught a glimpse of a blonde haired man soaked to the bone, before the man's fist met his face. Harry actually felt his feet lift up from the ground as he fell back through the air to land on his arse. The man quickly rushed in and slammed the door shut and lunged over Harry. Harry tensed, expecting another blow, but the man jumped over him and ran down the hall. Head spinning and seeing stars, Harry stumbled up and clumsily pulled his wand out and then hurriedly tucked it back in his pants as both Tonks burst in through the front door and his Uncle Vernon rushed in from the dining room. They briefly looked at eachother then to Harry with his bleeding nose.

"Blimey Harry!" Tonks muttered but looked past him. Uncled Vernon's face went purple and he quickly started shouting and pointing at Tonks.

"Now I'll have you know, I had nothing to do with that!" he pointed to Harry's face then went back to pointing at Tonks, "And I demand to know why you've barged into my home! What was that loud bang? And what're you-"

"Yes, yes, yes," Tonks fired off rapidly, looking annoyed with the Dursley patriarch. "I know you didn't do that. The man who was knocking at the door punched him and ran inside." She held her wand out in front of her body cautiously, expecting an attack, and she pulled Harry behind herself with her left hand.

"What?" Uncle Vernon's face went white, and he spun round to look at Aunt Petunia and Dudley who had followed. He pulled the two closer to himself and looked about his house sharply.

"No one came this way, " Aunt Petunia whispered loudly, looking about frightfully. Tonk's brow creased and she looked towards the stairway leading up into the house. 'Upstairs?' She turned to Harry, who was holding his head back, trying not to let the blood fall to the floor. Aunt Petunia would just make him clean it up later, he thought bitterly. A few waves of her wand cleaned up his face, though he flinched painfully as his nose realigned itself.

"Wait here Harry." Tonks ordered, and dashed up the stairs. There were several tense moments as they heard the witch moving about upstairs. However she finally came back down, looking confused. "I don't get it. There's no one up there, and no signs of having left the house." Tonks took a quick look around the corners of the wall that stood between the foyer, receiving room, dining room and kitchen. It wasn't too large a space. There wasn't anyway someone would be able to hide there with them all here. "You're sure you didn't see anyone run past you?" She directed to the Dursley with a dubious look on her face.

"Of course!" Vernon shouted, face coloring red. "We were all sitting for dinner. We would have seen someone attempt to rush out the kitchen door!"

Tonks just looked more confused. She shared a look with Harry and leaned in close.

"They couldn't have apparated. The wards shield against that. Portkeys too. So where the blazes did he go?"

Harry had no answer. They did another sweep of the house, and Tonks left and perfomed a search around the neighborhood. However nothing turned up, and so Tonks left Harry with a warning to be on his guard as she bid him good night.

"I'm gonna let Mad-eye know about this in the morning. Go ahead and get some sleep, and keep your wand at the ready. Ya know-"

"Constant vigilance." They finished together, smiling. Giving him a more friendly smile, Tonks gave Harry a quick hug then left. The night passed quickly after that, and Harry tried and gave up on his summer work. He just wasn't feeling it. And then, as he slept, he had weird dreams.

A tree was growing alone in a field. It started as a seed, and grew larger and larger; branches reached out in random directions, bloomed with flowers, fruit, and then leaves. Over and over this happened and the tree never stopped growing. It all felt very directed, like it had a purpose. And then something happened. A man suddenly appeared next to the tree. There was no transition, just, _there_. He had blonde hair and had a muscular build, though he wasn't too tall. Maybe a few inches above his own.

The man looked up at the tree and put his hand to his chin, in a classical thinking pose. Then, he reached out and touched the tree. Like water flowing down a river, the tree began deaging even quicker than it was grown. All the while, the blonde man watched without emotion. When the tree was just a sprout again, the man stopped it. As it began to age and grow again, he waved his hand and pulled a wooden pole from thin air. He planted the pole next to the tree and then tied the two together. He was controlling how the tree would grow, Harry realized, and woke with a jerk.

Aunt Petunia closed her mouth and blinked as she held his door knob. "Oh. You woke up." She regained her composure, "Good. You need to get up. One of Dudley's friends is here, and he's made us all breakfast. Even you." She added the last part unnecessarily. But that was odd. Did Dudley have a boxing match this week or something? Harry couldn't recall hearing anything about that, but Aunt Petunia was already gone.

Throwing off the covers Harry pulled a simple white tee over his messy hair and made his way down in his sweat pants. The smell of ham, eggs and toast filled the air and Harry could hear Dudley laughing as Vernon was telling some joke or another. As soon as he sat down a plate filled to the edges with food was put in front of him he tried to see Dudley's friend, but the guy had already moved behind him back to the stove where he heard the hiss of meat. Deciding it didn't really matter, Harry dived into his food with a gusto. It wasn't often that he was able to eat this well during the summer, so he wouldn't look this gift horse in the mouth.

However when he sat down next to Harry, Harry choked and sputtered on his orange juice. 'Dudley's friend' was the same blonde haired man who had punched him last night. He laughed and patted Harry's back with small quick thumps, as he flashed a smile.

"Ya'll right there Harry? Its been awhile since I've seen you." He had an American accent, and Harry could not recall having ever met any American, let alone this one. He had dirty blonde hair and blue-green eyes, and looked like he was around 19 years old. Harry looked at his family wildly, trying to see if this was some sort of elaborate prank, but they didn't give anything away. When he looked back to the man, he caught a glimpse of a paper fluttering out of the man's hand, down to Harry's own lap. He unfolded it and saw the words, 'PLAY ALONG. I'll explain later.'

"Oh Demitri, you've met Harry too?" Aunt Petunia asked, cheerful, but sounding almost sad at the same time. Harry threw her a deadpan glare when she wasn't looking, but then looked back to this Demitri.

"Yeah, Dudley introduced us back a few years ago; when I moved here from over the pond." He spoke the last part with a smile and a shake of his head, as if delighted over what the English referred to the ocean that separated the americas and europe. "It was right when Dudley was beginning to be interested in boxing, isn't that right Big D?"

Dudley blinked and for a moment looked just as confused as Harry felt. Something _really _wasn't right here. But then Dudley started nodding quickly and smiled back and said, "Yeah, yeah that's right." Then he started telling a story about his first boxing match. They had all heard it a hundred times, but Vernon and Petunia gasped and applauded the boy still. Harry instead watched the man, Demitri, and likewise, the young man looked his way and then mouthed the words 'Park. Thirty minutes. Hogwarts.'

Harry blinked, confused and baffled over what was happening. If this guy was friends with Dudley, he wouldn't know anything about Hogwarts! And, if he was a wizard, how did he avoid Tonks? And, who's side was he on? This was all mental, just mental, and Harry felt a headache settling in the back of his brain.

"Ah, crap, look at the time!" Demitri suddenly called. The table silenced, as the blonde gathered up his backpack, which had been hiding under the table, and he looked at the watch on his wrist. "I'm really sorry about this, but I need to leave or I'll be late to my morning practice. It was good to see you again, Dudley, Harry." He nodded to each of them in turn, "And it was fantastic to meet you Mr and Mrs Dursley!"

"Oh no worry m'boy!" Vernon announced as he walked with Demitri to the front door, shaking his hand. "Its good to know that our Dudley has such a nice and sensible, normal friend! Do come by again sometime." Harry felt that normal comment was directed at him, but was too confused and frustrated to care. Breakfast continued and Harry had to sit through hearing how Demitri seemed like such a nice boy, and was such a good cook, though his aunt and uncle started asking Dudley why he told Demitri it would be ok to come over before dawn and make food for them.

Harry immediately noticed the look on Dudley's face as he stammered that it was because Demitri jogged several miles in the early morning, and Dudley wanted to show him hospitality or something like that, Harry quit listening when he realized that Dudley didn't know Demitri more than Harry did. Dudley only had that look when he was lying. It was a wonder that his mother still hadn't figured that out. As soon as he could, after washing the dishes, he dressed, showered and slipped out before his aunt could assault him with a list of chores to be done around the house.

It only took a few minutes to reach the park a few blocks from Privet Drive, and he could see Demitri spinning the merry-go-round for several children, all laughing and screaming as they spun faster and faster. A few feet away, several mothers and one or two fathers sat at the benches, watching the children. When Demitri noticed Harry watching, he stopped spinning the wheel, and waited for it to slow down. He kneeled down and said something to the kids, and Harry heard them groan across the playground. Then Demitri gave a hi-five to all the kids before he started walking to the back of the playground where the forest started, where he waved Harry over.

As Harry followed the man he felt more and more angry and when they stopped, Harry took a swing at him. Demitri looked shocked but easily danced back out of the way.

"Would you _please_ explain to me what's going on, _who_ you are, and why you bloody _punched_ me last night!"

"Woah, woah Harry calm down." He rose his hands up defensively. "Yeah of course I'll explain. Just... One thing first. We've got peeping toms."

And then in one fluid motion Demitri tossed a golden chain around Harry's neck, and Harry's stomach dropped at the familiarity. Demitri started turning an hourglass connected to the necklace even as several spells burst from the bushes, but by then they were gone. The change didn't last for long, maybe two or three seconds.

"A timeturner..." Harry breathed as Demitri pulled the chain back from over Harry's neck. Then Demitri smiled and tucked the necklace beneath his shirt.

"It is a really handy tool, no? You used one back in your third year of Hogwarts, right?" Demitri's tone suggested he wasn't really asking. But how did he know that? Harry and Hermione never told anyone about their three hour journey to the past.

"How... How did you...?" Harry tried asking, but his head was pounding.

"Its a long story for another day." Demitri said, rummaging through his pack. He pulled out a water bottle and a small pill case of an over-the-counter headache medicine, and handed them to Harry. He eyeballed them wearily for a moment but decided he was safe, and took one. "But I guess I should start with this: I am a muggle."

Harry blinked, and then again and again.

"What?"

"I am a muggle; not a wizard." Demitri looked deadly serious.

"I don't understand what you're saying. You're a muggle...? But you have a timeturner."

"I do." Demitri nodded. "And frankly, I don't know why or how. But I know it works, and how to use it. Some wizards thought I was a crook and put me into that prison, Azkaban a few weeks ago."

Oh shit. They put a muggle into Azkaban. Ice settled into his heart just thinking of Dementors, and the thought of their home, and being there, _as a muggle_? "What happened?" Harry was curious. Very much so.

For some reason, Demitri smiled as he walked back towards the playground, and sat down at one of the benches. It was sometime before dawn, and the sky was still mostly dark. The air was warm but there was a cool breeze, and it was very silent. Not even the birds were up yet.

"It actually wasn't that bad. I even laid a Dementor."

The ridiculousness of that comment sent Harry into a small fit of laughter and he looked up at Demitri, smiling.

"You what? Are you mental?"

"Yeah! It was a girl Dementor. I hadn't known those existed. The first few nights were bad, but then I came to realize something, and from then on the Dementors didn't affect me anymore. They actually tended to avoid me entirely."

Harry's brow rose in question at Demitri. "And? You realized something and they left you alone? What in the world was it?"

"It was a thought, one that made me more happy than I have ever possibly been in my entire life, no exaggeration." Then Demitri stopped, smiling. It seemed he was going to make Harry ask.

"Well, what was it?" Demitri smiled even wider and leaned in close, propping his elbows up on the bench table.

"I realized that magic was real."

And Harry couldn't help but think to his eleventh birthday, and he understood.

* * *

**6**

To someone who lived life, always wishing something like magic was real, Harry could understand the innate joy that came after learning it was, in fact, real. To someone who was a muggle of the same mindset, Harry imagined it must be more of a bittersweet emotion. To know it was real, but know you can never use it. Harry talked with Demitri for sometime after that, his initial worry gone. And he could understand why Demitri wanted to get away from his guards. Demitri knew he couldn't use magic like a wizard, and he had to rely on magic objects like his timeturner. He didn't want to lose his only link to the magical world. But there were still some questions left unanswered. Like how he knew where to find Harry, for one. There were others, but that was the one Harry would not relent on.

Finally Demitri sighed and looked pensive for several moments, then said, "I knew the area you lived in because I read about it in a book. I don't want to say more than that Harry; please trust me when I say that someday I will explain it all, but for now, if I tell you it would change your life so drastically it would... I don't even know how crazy things would become. Everything would change. Every life of every person you know."

Demitri frowned and continued, "Of course, some things are going to be different right now. Now that I know the wizarding world is real, I want to join it."

Harry thought on that for a moment. "I don't really know how we're going to accomplish that. I'd love to help you, but what can you do as a muggle? Sorry, that kind of sounded-"

"No, no its cool." Demitri waved it off, "I've actually been thinking about that exact thing for a long, long time. And I have some ideas. For one, potions or alchemy. Even in the muggle world, there are stories of potions being made by shamans or wise women."

Harry nodded in agreement. "That's true. I was never very good at potions, so I could give you some of my old potions books. I have no use for them." He thought on this more, "You would just have to get the ingredients at Diagon alley."

Demitri grinned at Harry, "Thanks Harry! I appreciate that. The other method would be more enchanted objects like my necklace. Unless I can find a way to make them myself, though, I'll be stuck buying whatever is available." Harry nodded and motioned for him to continue. "Well, the third option is a bit more drastic, and possibly dangerous. In fact it is incredibly so. I could create a new body for myself, one that has the genes of a wizard in this world, and have someone transfer my soul into the new body."

For a long moment, Harry's heart beat into his throat. The image of Voldemort in the graveyard assaulted his mind, and it was only the sound of children laughing that snapped him back to reality.

"I... don't think you should try something like that."

Demitri slowly nodded and looked off to the other end of the playground, where a dozen families had begun to show up as the sun rose higher in the sky. Several hours had passed as they sat and talked.

"I don't want to do that unless its a matter of life or death. A last resort."

They say in silence until Demitri stood and stretched, popping his elbows and breathing in deeply. "Well Harry, I don't want to seem pushy, but would you accompany me to Diagon Alley today? I want to start learning potions, and buy some ingredients as soon as possible."

Harry frowned, knowing that his guards wouldn't like that one bit. They were probably already cross with him as it was. And then it was with a jolt that he saw Demitri arrive on the other side of the playground, where after a few minutes he started playing with several children on the merry-go-round. He looked to the Demitri right next to him, and found the man smiling and holding up his timeturner.

"Time travel Harry. We can be back before you even wake up this morning."


	3. Chapter 3

**7**

As Harry watched the Demitri look out the windows of the Knight Bus, he wondered how his morning had turned out this way. He was expecting to spend the day doing chores, or maybe lazing about (outside the relative vision of his family that is) maybe by the garden again, or maybe even in the subways. It wouldn't have been too hard to slip away, but they would still be hunting him. This way, however, gave him a bit more freedom.

"Thanks, by the way," Harry blurted out, and then regretted it. It wasn't like Demitri would know why he was thinking him. However, Demitri threw him a grin right away.

"No prob-lay-mo. I'd heard through the grapevine you don't really like your family."

Harry raised an eyebrow and spoke up, "What really? How long have you been in contact with the wizarding world?"

"Ah well, I was in Az-" He stopped himself as the bus took a particularly sharp turn. He cast a look around the bus, at the moving plush chairs and the conductor and driver at the front of the bus. Besides Harry and Demitri there was one witch riding the bus, and she was slumped back, half asleep. Demitri continued in a softer voice all the same, "I was in Azkaban for several months. You'd be surprised how much people talk when they're giving you a tattoo." At this he pulled his right sleeve up slightly, exposing blue ink outlined in black that seemed to run the length of his arm. It was in the shape of an octopus' tentacles. As he looked, Harry started feeling confused. The tattoo wasn't... right. It almost shifted, like it was below water.

Then it slivered farther up Demitri's arm, and Harry jumped. Demitri snorted and rolled his sleeve back up. "Cool eh? Wizard tattoos are so much better than muggle ones." Then Demitri became more serious. "But no, they talk about you alot. Much more than one would imagine too. But you shouldn't be worried." Demitri looked up as the bus crashed to a halt.

"Leaky Cauldron!"

Harry and Demitri stepped off the bus, watching as it boomed and sped off into the distance. Demitri saw shops lined up along the street, which by all standards looked completely normal; a clothing boutique here, two restaurants, a small clinic at the corner, and a street vendor across the street. It was all very... muggle, as it were.

"I can't see it." Demitri sighed sadly. "I was hoping so much exposure would stop the charms, but no such luck. I'm going to need you to lead me in Harry."

But Harry didn't move. He crossed his arms and stared at Demitri. "Before I go anywhere, I want to know more. How you found me, how you found my house, why you punched me; everything. Or I won't show you the door." Demitri laughed almost desperately, like a blend between laughing and coughing.

"Damn," the blonde laughed, "You know how to tease a guy Harry." He rose a hand and scratched his head through his dirty hair. "I get why you feel trepidation though; and honestly, I don't blame you." He looked left and right down the street and spotted a cafe some ways down. "Come on," he said nodding his head in the direction of the store, "I'll buy us some lunch- er, its still early so it'll have to be breakfast food." He turned his back on Harry and mumbled a few words about time travel.

Frowning, Harry followed. This day wasn't turning out anything like he had planned. As he sat at the booth in the cafe, Demitri was already staring intently at the small menu that was at each table. The cafe had a few more customers, though there was only one waitress.

"'Ello there boys. What can I get you today?" The girl looked to be university age, and kept her long brown hair up in a high ponytail. She spun a pen in her hand and looked between the two of them. Demitri made no move to say anything, still staring at the menu, so Harry spoke up.

"Er, I'll have," He took a peek at the back of the menu, "I'll have this tea please. That'll be all for me." She leaned in and copied the name of the tea, and looked to Demitri.

"No food?" He asked to Harry, shrugged then frowned at the menu, "I suppose I can wait till later as well. I'll have a lemonade then." Then he smiled widely at the girl. She 'hmm'ed and smiled back and left. Harry kept looking at Demitri.

"Alright," he sighed, "Bear with me that this isn't going to be an easy conversation."

"How did you find me?" Harry started off with the most important question. If this man, no matter how friendly, then who else could? What if this knowledge fell into Death Eater hands? Wizards may not be able to get through the wards, but as Demitri proved, muggles could.

Demitri was silent for several seconds, and Harry could visible see the energy leave him.

"Harry..." He struggled to find the words for several seconds and then sighed. "Harry, I guess I need to say this and get it out of the way."

Demitri leaned in and spoke quietly, "At the end of your school year, Albus Dumbledore will die."

For a second nothing happened. Then, ice erupted through Harry's body, then suddenly fire. And then the next moment Harry was laughing. "What? Professor Dumbledore, die? That's ridiculous!" As Harry shouted, Demitri pulled the gold chain around his neck and let the time turner tumble out of his shirt and dance between them as it bounced.

The ice returned to the pit of Harry's stomach. He almost didn't notice as the waitress pressed the warm mug of tea into his hands with a worried look. Harry imagined his face must be pale as a ghost. He certainly couldn't feel it. "What...?" Demitri looked on, expression unchanged.

"I need you to accept the fact that I have knowledge of the future, Harry." He whispered as he guided Harry's hands up, prompting him to drink. The tea was hot, almost burning hot, but it warmed him where he suddenly felt cold. "And I need you to accept one more thing Harry; I can not change this. Had I been able to find you a month ago, two months ago, I might've been able to save him. But I can't. Not any more. He has been cursed, and even with the help of Severus Snape, he only has one year left to live. He knows this, and trust me when I say, he planned almost every aspect of what would happen when he died. Will die."

"There's nothing you can do?" Harry felt weak suddenly. First Sirius, now Dumbledore...

"Oh there is one thing." Harry snapped his head up to meet Demitri's gaze, but the man shook his head slowly, "But not for Dumbledore. Other people are going to be hurt soon Harry. You know how the Death Eaters are attacking more and more people right? Even Olivander was taken a short time ago. I can't save the people before, but I can help you save the people yet in the future." There was a silence and everything just seemed too much, too complicated. Harry wanted to run. He wanted to blow up. He wanted to rage and destroy. He wanted to find a corner and mourn.

"There's one more thing I need you to believe Harry."

"And what is that?" Harry answered robotically, looking down into his tea. After several minutes Harry realized Demitri hadn't spoken, and he looked up into the older man's blue-green eyes. Then Demitri spoke.

"You and I can save everyone. I promise you."

It was strange, staring into that man's eyes, almost like his own. He wanted to believe this man, but didn't want to. Someone he cared for was going to die. Yet the others could still be saved. The conflict and sorrow raged inside him.

"Harry that girl's checking you out."

The statement was so sudden that all Harry could do was blink at Demitri. "What?"

"Behind you. In the red blouse."

Harry blinked but turned his head over his shoulder. There were several others sitting and eating or drinking, but only one couple, two girls sitting together by the window. One was a blonde with a blue jacket zipped up and blue sweat pants. The other was the girl wearing the red blouse, and her brown hair fell it large curls around her white neck. As he looked, the girl tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced his way. Her eyes widened for a second and she looked away, her face nearly as red as her shirt.

Harry felt his face lit on fire and he hurriedly turned away from the two girls. His heart beat heavily in his chest for several long moments, and Demitri laughed, and started ribbing him across the table.

"Hey, hey, see? The world isn't over yet Harry, not as long as pretty girls can sit down for a cup o' tea." He practically shouted that, and Harry wanted to sink back into the booth, feeling more embarrassed. "You want to go talk to them?" Thankfully he spoke that far more quietly.

"No-no. I think it time we went to the Alley." Harry pulled a few pounds from his jacket pocket, put them on the table and almost ran out of the cafe. Demitri followed more sedately, laughing all the way down the street. Harry punched his arm, but couldn't help but smile and join him laughing. For whatever reason, Demitri was easy to get along with. The kind of guy who felt like an old friend. Harry decided someone like that didn't have it out to hurt him, so with that thought in mind he pulled Demitri by the shoulder into the Leaky Cauldron.

"Oh! Wow." Demitri looked around, wide eyed. There were a few people sitting around at tables eating breakfast foods, and even a few sitting at the bar. There was nothing blatantly magic happening except for a few floating dishes through the bar window into the kitchen.

"That felt like walking through a curtain. LIke, everything just sort of, suddenly filtered through." Demitri looked down at his hands and wiggled his fingers, then looked over his shoulder through the small glass window on the door. Outside a couple walked by without a glance inside. Harry cocked his head to the side, thinking.

"That's the first time I've ever heard someone describe walking through the wards."

"Well," Demitri replied with a jerk of his head to the back of the pub, "I knew it was coming so that might've helped. That's the way to the Alley right?"

"Yeah- say, you know quite a lot despite, you know. How did you learn all of this at Azkaban?" Harry felt as if his words echoed, realized how quiet it became, and how loud he'd been speaking as he lead Demitri to the back of the pub. Suddenly all eyes were on him. Recognition and dread lit up in the eyes of the closet person, a young wizard holding a scoop of eggs to his mouth. Several others froze in place.

Demitri leaned in and whispered, "You probably shouldn't have said Azkaban." It was easily audible in the silence and Harry shot him a glare even as an older woman shot up from her table and leaped into the fireplace, yelling as it lit up green and whisked her away. Several others shot up from their chairs and creeped towards the fireplace. Others looked back and forth between what they knew to be the Boy-Who-Lived and stranger associated with Azkaban.

"Come on," Harry muttered angrily, grabbing Demitri's elbow and pulling him towards the back door. "Bloody hell," He muttered as he shut the door behind him, "You should have known not to say that if front of all those people. No one likes to hear about prison." They were in a small, closed off courtyard now. Demitri briefly wondered why they didn't have any plants growing back here. Even just a bush or something. Its not like anyone but wizards would see it.

"Yes, I knew. Doesn't mean they shouldn't be reminded a terrible place like that exists though. Maybe if people cared more, cared to learn a little, then maybe so many Dementors wouldn't have rebelled." Demitri looked slightly angrily back at the door to the pub and sighed.

"I learned most of what I know from the Dementors Harry." Demitri admitted, and looked to the opposite wall, where he knew the door to the Alley lay. "I was the only one who could get close enough to them, being so happy at the time. I won't defend them and say they're not that bad, but they are no different from vampires. Sentient being who must feed off humans to live." Demitri was quiet for several moments and didn't meet Harry's eyes.

"Plus she had big tits."

Harry tried not to laugh, he really did, but he just couldn't help it. He grabbed his stomach with one hand and bent double, gasping for breath as his body shook with laughter. Demitri leaned back holding his hands to his face, red from lack of air as he too laughed. The laughing echoed off the brick walls back at them, and Tom burst from the door leading to the pub. Tom stood hunched, looking both confused and disturbed at the sight of the two men laughing, almost giggling as they tried to breathe. With slow, deliberate moves he gently closed the door, expression unchanged.

Taking huge gulps of air, Harry rubbed his aching face, wondering how long it had been since he'd laughed and smiled so much. Walking to the back wall, he pulled out his wand and tapped the bricks in the circular motion, and stepped back as it unraveled to reveal Diagon Alley. The dying laughter caught in his throat as he gazed through the doorway. Beyond the brick wall, the Alley was deserted. It was nearing ten in the morning, but many shops were closed and dark. In the distance Harry could see the light of the prank shop owned by the twins, like a beacon in the night.

* * *

**8**

"What the?" Harry didn't know what to say. "Its so... empty." He and Demitri walked slowly down the Alley, looking into the few stores that remained open. A few witches and wizards could be seen, darting around from store to store. A few pointed to Harry and Demitri and muttered quietly to companions, but everyone was quiet as mice.

"That's kinda depressing," Demitri commented in what was a normal voice, but it sounded like shouting in the empty Alley. "Not gonna stop me though. Now," he looked about left and right with his hands on his hips, "Where's the closest bank? It's time to shop~!" he sung the last few words and smiled over his shoulder at Harry. Harry smiled back weakly and started walking, Demitri following after, 'ohh'ing and 'aww'ing at the small trinkets that hung from store doors or windows. He almost radiated happiness in the grey world the Alley had become.

Gringots was certainly more busy as they walked toward the tilted white building. A dozen or more people could be seen entering and leaving every few minutes. Demitri stared at the goblin guards as they passed through the door and received a tooth glare in return.

"I hope they don't intend to use those. I wonder if they have the same meaning as Orcs?"

"I've never seen them attack anyone." Harry murmured quietly while they stood in the atrium of the bank. The room was well lit with its huge, gaudy chandlers. "And what are Orcs?"

"You've never heard of them?" Demitri only barely lowered his voice, and at Harry's 'no', he continued, "Well I guess they're a race that's commonly seen among goblins and trolls in mythology. I have no clue if they exist though."

"Oh," Harry answered, blinking at Demitri. "How do you know about them?"

Demitri shrugged, and pointed to an open teller, "I studied the occult in the muggle world. I know lots of stuff, most of which may or may not even exist now." He gestured all around himself as they walked over to the goblin. "It'll be interesting to find out though." He flashed Harry a wide grin and turned to the goblin.

"Hello there!" Demitri called in a chipper voice, and Harry thought the goblin looked especially irritated when it looked up. Demitri continued on anyway, "I'm new to this part of the world, and I would like to set up an account, or be directed to someone who can help me."

"New? You sound American." The goblin sneered and put down the quill in its hand into the holder. He, Harry assumed it was a he, looked at Demitri for several moments and if possible sneered even more. Harry realized he was still wearing his muggle clothing, jeans and a shirt, and Demitri was even worse. His pants were incredibly worn, and so faded they were more grey than black. His blue shirt was dirty with stains and torn in several places. Rags, to put it simply.

"I assume you can provide the sufficient funds to open such an account, Mr...?"

Demitri reached into the backpack he wore around his shoulders and tossed something at the goblin and Harry felt his jaw drop at the stack of bills that landed on the teller. It was inches thick. The goblin snapped his mouth shut and held up the stack, and bent the bills, letting them crackle in the air. There had to be thousands of dollars there. How much money did he have in his backpack?

"Thomas." Demitri replied, folding his arms over his chest. From the neck of Demitri's shirt, Harry saw tattoo ink blue tentacles curl up onto his face and around his right eye. Harry felt it added more insult to the goblin that someone so unprofessional looking was so rich.

"Well, Mr. Thomas, if you'll follow me we can discuss the matter of your new account..." The goblin was much more friendly now, seeming to smile rather than snarl at Demitri as it beckoned him.

"I'll meet you outside in about ten minutes Harry, if you need to get any money or anything." Demitri adjusted his shirt, causing the golden necklace around his neck to glint, and he winked at Harry. Harry nodded and left to find another goblin to lead him to his vault. A few minutes later he lightly filled his pockets and walked out of the bank to find Demitri waiting for him.

"That thing is becoming extremely convenient." Harry commented as he stepped down the whites steps.

"Indeed." Demitri agreed and flashed him a grin. "So, where's a clothing store? As a newly minted noble in the wizarding world, these clothes are rather lacking."

Harry snorted at that, but remembered the huge stack of bills. "Where did you get all that money?"

"A bank." the other man answered blandly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Though I have to say I'm surprised you use actual gold." He held up a hand of galleons, letting them glint in the noon sun.

"Yeah, I was as well, but you get used to it." Harry looked around recalling memories of previous trips to the Alley. "And there should be a shop down this way." With that the two made their way down a road of the Alley, and Harry noticed that more and more people were shopping now, or eating, as some small cafes opened for lunch, or vendors selling food opened for business. Hunger beat out the fear it seemed.

Madam Malkin's wasn't a far walk and the stop was even shorter as Demitri only bought a clean pair of slacks and two white shirts, which he immediately put on. He stuffed the other shirt into his backpack. Madam Malkin tried selling him more and it was only after promising to come back after buying a trunk did she relent. Besides a couple of witches browsing through the fabrics in the back, the store had been empty. Madam Malkin was losing business, just as everyone else.

"I guess all this stuff with Voldemort has spooked everyone." Demitri spoke the name like it was nothing and a few women walking past him squeaked fearfully and ran off. He watched them with a disappointed gaze and shook his head. Harry regarded him curiously as they walked down the road.

"You're not afraid to say his name?"

"Not really. Most people said it back in Azkaban. I suppose between being there and not being born in the wizarding world, the mean doesn't really mean anything to me, other than 'flight from death'." At Harry's confused look, Demitri explained, "That's what vol de mort means in french. Flight from death."

"Oh. Well. That makes sense i suppose. It sounds like him alright."

They walked a bit longer in silence and Harry felt he was becoming rather tired for some reason. It was strange since it was only 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Then he recalled that he had actually jumped in time several times, and for him it was probably sometime late in the evening. Demitri noticed the yawn he tried to hide and sent a grin his way.

"If you're tired, why don't you head to the Leaky Cauldron and rent a room. I can meet up with you later to take you back before you head back home."

"What about you?" Harry thought about declining, but he really was tired and the idea of a nap was tempting. "You don't even know your way around."

"Aww I can always ask. Or look at the signs." He pointed to one such sign, 'Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment' and laughed. "I think I'll be ok. Seriously, you look tired. You'll have plenty of time to shop later. You're still school right? I imagine that won't start for awhile."

"Yeah, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Harry nodded, looking down the street. "The semester doesn't start till September. But you know, I really am tired. I think I'll go. When will we meet up?"

Demitri glanced up at the sun and hummed in response. "Just come down when you're rested. I'll go there for dinner later tonight, probably around 6 or so, and I'll stay there till you show up."

"Alright, I'll see you then." With that Harry waved tiredly and walked the short distance to the Leaky Cauldron. Demitri watched him walk around the corner and waited in the middle of the street for several minutes. When he was sure he was gone he reached into his shirt and spun the timeturner without pulling it out.

"Balls!" the mutter sounded in the suddenly empty street as Demitri disappeared. From a small side alley shrouded in darkness a wizard stepped out into the open, black cloak drifting in the wind. Brown eyes darted left and right beneath the white mask, looking for any sign of Demitri. "Who the hell was that with Potter? Ugh, whatever, I better follow-"

The man never noticed the arms reaching around his neck before a loud crack resounded. The man fell limp, lifeless, and he was dragged into the alley. Demitri strolled out of the alley with a trunk on wheels behind him, whistling a merry tune.

"Oh~! That's gonna be the sound, girl, when its going down~..."


End file.
